April 2011

Medical Terminology Made Simple: Myopia
As a service to people who are thinking of entering the medical and medical support professions, StraighterLine is launching a series of short posts on medical terminology. Each post will define one medical term.
Today’s medical term is . . . Myopia
Myopia is commonly called “nearsightedness.” Myopia is evil-sounding, but it’s really not too big a deal – it just means that because of the shape of your eye, the image that should be focused neatly onto your retina but somewhere in front of it. Your retina, in case you don’t know, is the back side of your eye.
If your forehead is resting against your computer screen as you read this, chances are you have myopia.
If you have myopia, ...

Today, we begin a series of posts about terrific colleges that you should know about as you make your college plans. Today, we profile Granite State College in New Hampshire.
Granite State College
How did the word “granite” get into the name of a college?
It’s because Granite State College is located in New Hampshire, which is known as “The Granite State.” And that’s more than a slogan. If you visit New Hampshire, you will see that granite really is everywhere. It is quarried in the state and there are buildings made of granite, fence posts made of granite, statues made of granite, and lots more.
Things that are made of granite are solid and durable – and that is certainly the case for Granite State College, which has ...

True or False? This week’s college news quiz
Even though April Fool’s Day was pretty good, we just realized that we didn’t have quite enough fun during the month of April. Maybe you didn’t either. That’s why we put together this True or False quiz for you to take, based on current college-related stories that are making the news.
The correct answers follow the quiz.
1) Which of the following is not true?a) Newt Gingrich is giving the graduation speech at Eureka College this year.b) Pee Wee Herman is giving the graduation speech at Colorado School of Mines.c) Denzel Washington is giving the graduation speech at the University of Pennsylvania.d) Michelle Obama is giving the graduation speech at West Point.& ...

Help Your Favorite Working Mother Win StraighterLine’s Scholarship for Working Moms
Mother’s Day is coming up fast on May 8. It’s a good time to turn your thoughts to your favorite working mom. Maybe she’s a friend of yours who is always there for her kids, but who manages to excel in her career too. Maybe she’s a single mother who is working while raising children on her own. Maybe she’s a stay-at-home mother who excels at being a mom. Maybe she’s your own mother, and you’d like to tell her how much you appreciate everything she has done for you.
So hold that special working mother of yours in your thoughts for a moment. Then do something else. Help her win StraighterLine’s special scholarship for working moms.
...

How to Handle Common College Interview Questions
On-campus college interviews are as scarce as dinosaurs in argyle sweaters these days. They’ve almost disappeared for a very simple reason: colleges are screening so many applications that they just don’t have the time to call you in for a traditional across-the-desk conversation. It’s more likely that any interviews you get will be with alumni of schools where you’ve applied.
What’s the best way to handle an interview on a campus or with an alumni interviewer? Here are some common interview questions, with advice on how to answer them . . .
1. Did you enjoy your four years in high school? The interviewer is really trying to figure out whether you are a positive or negative ...